June 2009 - Posts

• Going to The Hospital, Part 2

  Born to Run, Or Crazy Train- Both are appropriate Jacob 9/25 We sit in the driveway with the car running waiting for my Mom to drive 2 miles to get to our house to watch Asher.  I am writhing and wailing in the front seat, because every minute or so a contraction rips through me and nearly tears me in half.  Mom's car pulls in and Dan backs out like he is on Cops.  We hit every red light.  We get stuck in traffic at 11:15 PM because of the great gas shortage in Charlotte.  I am telling Dan to slow down, he is saying, "OK, Honey" as his knuckles whiten on the steering wheel and his foot grows heavy on the accelerator.  He screeches into the L & D unit at the hospital where they are awaiting my arrival.  I limp out clutching my belly and doubling over every few steps.  The midwife finally sees me as I elbow a family of 14 out of the way and Dan runs back out to park the car.  No paperwork.  No checking in.  My shoes and clothes are being stripped off in the hallway.  By the time Dan gets back from parking the car, I am gowned, stirruped, swearing, and Jacob is crowning. Posted Jun 30 2009, 08:16 PM by jmdinap with 1 comment(s) Filed under: delivery, labor, jacob

• Going to the Hospital Part 1

  Sung to the Tune of 'Goin To The Chapel' Going To The Hopsital, and We're Gonnaa Have a Baa-aaa-by, Asher 12/8 I get in my car, wave goodbye to my friends at school.  Call my mom on her cell phone, and drive home to meet Dan.  We arrive at the hospital, check in like we are at a hotel, and begin the labor process.  Slow. Calculated.  Deliberate.    Posted Jun 23 2009, 10:10 PM by jmdinap with 1 comment(s) Filed under: labor, delivery asher

• Am I In Labor? Part 2- Braxton Hicks Play Me For A Fool

  Jacob Michael, Sept 25 The second time around, I knew what to expect.  (This will continuously be proven to be the biggest lie of my life).  I thought I knew.  From about mid-August until he was born, I was having Braxton Hicks contractions.  They would come randomly during the day, and regularly after a little ‘couples time', but they would always stop.  I spoke to the doctor about it EVERY WEEK.   She assured me it was totally normal the second time around, and I got a nice little health lesson about why a little McLovin' would start them up real good!   So Braxton, Hicks, and I became friends, and I went about my business.  After 6 weeks of contractions, with little to no progress I was scheduled to be induced on September 27, 3 days past my due date of Sept 24.  Since Asher was 5 days early, I was already fuming at how stubborn this baby was, and how increasingly miserable I was with each passing minute.  I went to playgroup in the morning, went to Taco Bell for lunch (which was REALLY random) and moaned all day about the damn contractions doing nothing for me. My hubby made one more valiant effort at doing his share to get the baby to come out... and as expected, the contractions started.  Yippee. I rolled over and went to sleep, this was just a rerun for me. About 45 minutes later I was still having them, at about 5 minute intervals.   I rolled over to tell Dan, and felt a huge bubbling sensation in my pelvis, and a little wetness in the bed.  I sat up to tell him that I was going to the bathroom because I think my water just broke when the baby took the Ginsu knife he was wielding, and started stabbing me with it, hacking at me, to try to get out.  My contractions went from uncomfortable at 5 minute intervals, to excruciating, at 1 minute intervals. Dan took one look at me, and started dialing the OB. In the 6 yards from the bed to the bathroom, I had to stop 3 times because the little ninja was trying to stab his way out.  I was most certainly in labor, and probably a candidate for the The Exorcist, or the alien birth in the remake of the TV show V.    Posted Jun 19 2009, 02:45 PM by jmdinap with no comments Filed under: labor, ninja, contractions, braxton hicks

• Am I In Labor? Part 1- Did I Just Pee Myself?

  Asher Reid, December 8 I was working as a special education teacher and each day from Thanksgiving vacation on, I would pack up at the end of the day, and think, "I might not come back tomorrow."  I left things in perfect order every day for my substitute.  I had extra clothes in my school bag, and as per my Mom, a nurse, I had a blue lap pad in my car for any leaking and water breaking that might occur. I was ready. Every day I came to work, I heard choruses of, "You still here?  Haven't you had that baby yet? That baby looks ready to fall out!!" I was over it. I had an appointment with the OB on the 7th, and she said nothing was happening.  I was having lower back pain, but nothing out of the ordinary.  After dinner, it was getting stronger, and really achy.  We called the doctor, and she said that it would be best to go to the hospital because sometimes back labor is hard to notice.  I waddle into the hospital, get all hooked up in triage, and to our disappointment, the nurse sends us home.  Nothing happening, I am not in labor. Go home. I was fuming. It was late, I was tired and uncomfortable, and I had to go to work the next day. I walked into school and straight into a friend's classroom and told her what had happened.  Then I said, "You get the word out, Do. Not. Ask. Me. About. The. Baby. Today. I've had it!"  I got my schedule together, the busses arrived, and I headed into Mrs. C's 2nd grade classroom to clean out A.'s desk, a daily, but arduous task.  She was a student who had trichotillomania, a disorder where she pulls her hair out.  She also hoarded things, hence the desk cleaning.  I squatted down to get to work, and felt a warm gush.  My pants were soaked.  I was so confused, and thought, "Did I pee my pants? That would be just frickin' great! Oh! Wait!! I think my water broke! OH MY GOD!!! THE BABY IS COMING!!"  I slowly stand up, tell Mrs. C, I need to talk to her, and walk into the hallway.  She takes one look at me and hugs me, and sends me to the nurse's office.   I dripped the whole way there. With every step, more fluid leaked out.  After a phone call to the OB, my husband, and coaxing from the prinicipal, I was convinced that it was time.    Posted Jun 15 2009, 03:03 PM by jmdinap with no comments Filed under: delivery, labor, Pee, Water Breaking

• Your Birth Day!!!

  I think every woman loves her birthing story.  It is the beginning of her precious little one's life, the transition between pregnancy and motherhood, no matter which number baby it is for you.  Historically, proverbially, and literally, it is a monumental life-changing event, which most people classify as the top moment in their lifetime. Every story is different, every one unique.   And every woman looks for another woman's story to compare hers to.  If you have not given birth, ever, or not yet for this baby, there is so much anticipation and build up around the event, that it causes sleepless nights, and hours of daydreaming.  And personally for me, afterwards, I tried and tried to remember every detail over and over again so that the occasion would be forever imprinted in my mind, so that I would not miss one tiny element.    Posted Jun 12 2009, 02:07 PM by jmdinap with 1 comment(s) Filed under: delivery, labor, birthday